Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a utility carrier for attachment to a vertical surface such as a wall or a window. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a utility carrier of modular design which allows for flexibility in arrangement and orientation of the modular units which make up the carrier to allow it to hold a wide variety of sizes and shapes of elongated objects in a fixed and stable position adjacent to a vertical surface on which the carrier is mounted.
It is becoming increasingly common to use racks or other similar devices to store or display objects of an elongated shape. Specifically, in the confines of a vehicle it has become increasingly useful to attach a rack on a vertical surface such as a wall or window of the vehicle to store and display items of elongated shape. An example of this is the need for storing items such as a rifle, bow, fishing rod, baseball bat, long tool, etc. in the relative small confines of a truck cab or boat. Racks have been heretofore placed in truck cabs, being conventionally located on the interior side of the rear wall of the cab.
Prior art attempts to mount a rack or other type carrier to a vertical wall such as the interior wall of a truck cab have failed to provide the versatility required for a general utility-type carrying device. For example, a fully functional carrier must be adjustable to securely hold a variety of shapes and sizes of elongated objects without the attendant risk of inadvertent release from this adjusted position. Also, a carrier for attachment to a vertical surface such as in a truck cab or boat, is most advantageously comprised of small modular units which can be individually placed to avoid irregularity in the vertical surface and to conform to space limitations. For example, base units which in combination form the basis for the utility carrier must be mountable individually so as to be able to conform the carrier to the confines of a window such as a slidable rear window in a cab or a small vertical surface in the interior of a boat.
Further, because trucks, boats and similar vehicles are generally subjected to vibrations which can easily loosen or cause to be detached any carrier device, or object placed therein, from the vehicle wall or window, each modular unit of the carrier must be rigidly lockable to other components to prevent unexpected disassembly caused by movement of the vehicle.
Prior art modular mounting devices are typified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,015 to Kolic. Kolic shows a first modular unit which is attachable by adhesive to the surface to which the device is to be mounted, and a second modular unit which holds objects to be mounted on the device. The first and second modular units are engageable by a simple plug and socket type engagement. The plug and socket engagement is easily separated and includes no means for locking the unit together to prevent inadvertent detachment.
Norrington, U.S. Pat. No. 3,294,247 shows an adjustable rifle rack. Norrington's device cannot be attached directly to a vehicle window and the clamping units are not easily adjustable (cannot be adjusted by hand) to adapt the device to a particular size and shape of an object to be stored therein. Further, the clamp unit of Norrington's device cannot be removed entirely from the mounting bars thereof when the device is not in use (the mounting bars are interattached only by means of the clamp units attached thereto).